Scripps: Researchers Receive $6.6 Million to Investigate Deadly Lassa Virus

Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have been awarded $6.6 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to lead an investigation of Lassa fever virus, the most prevalent virus-induced hemorrhagic fever disease in Africa. The study aims to understand how Lassa fever virus causes disease and why some patients die, while others survive the inflection.

“The ultimate goal is for researchers to understand the basic mechanism of how Lassa fever virus causes disease and develop new treatments to be used by clinicians to fight this malady,” said TSRI Professor Michael Oldstone, principal investigator of the new grant.